Integrated Graphics vs. Discrete

[Apopkasux]

I'd like to build an computer for business use, no gaming or video editing, but will eventually want to upgrade to Vista and will want full functionality. Will Vista work fully without a discrete graphics card? I'd love to hear from anyone running Vista w/o a discrete graphics card.

Thanks!

[flanzig1]

I have a cheap laptop with a basic video chipset running Vista basic and it works OK. I believe the lastest Intel video chipsets work well with Vista.

[jer888]

If you mean Aero glass by full functionality then your need:

"Microsoft has listed the following requirements for what they call a Vista Premium Ready PC. A PC that meets or exceeds these requirements will be able to use the new Aero technologies.[6]

* a 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
* 1 gigabyte of system memory
* a DirectX 9 compatible graphics processor, with a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver, and a minimum of 64 MB of Video RAM
* 40 GB hard drive with 15 GB free space
* DVD-ROM Drive
* audio output and Internet access

The minimum requirements for graphics cards from the major vendors include the Radeon 9500 from ATI Technologies, the GeForce FX 5200 from NVIDIA, and even the Intel GMA 950.[7]

A note on minimum graphics requirements: though Microsoft has listed 128 MB of Video RAM as a requirement for "Premium Ready" PCs, it does not mean a 128 MB integrated graphics processor is required to run the Aero glass theme. A 64 MB integrated graphics processor, combined with at least 1 GB of system memory, will be able to run Aero at certain resolutions.[8] However, a Vista-specific driver for any given graphics processor is also required to run the Aero glass theme,[9] which may or may not be available at the time of Windows Vista's commercial release. Users who believe their hardware meets Aero's minimum graphics requirements are encouraged to check their graphics processor manufacturer's website for a Vista-specific driver if they are unable to run the theme."


[Windows Aero- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]